You really have no idea how bad it is man. The shit I've seen through all of my data analysis contracts at different startups have showed me how the process (so

You really have no idea how bad it is man. The shit I've seen through all of my data analysis contracts at different startups have showed me how the process (sorta) works. The tech companies just need to connect one little "key" and they've got the query. The cost of being wrong is low, so there is almost no Type II error. Every consumer website out there has some sort of bloatware / spyware tracking pixel or ad network or analytics pack. They record the headers, the fonts, etc. They make a statistical fingerprint that is very tight. For the Google Maps example I can think of 10 different ways that the user profile leaked ranging from a single installed key logger (virus), to a toolbar, to his clicking on the website. "But how could they know it is him or his email?" There are tons of tricks they use. Just log onto a single social network, bam. There was also a time that you could put down a LinkedIn iFrame to have: "Zach Aysan" has looked at your profile. Sent to your inbox. Sure the occasional hacker is smart enough to only install a select number of pluggins, and to watch downloaded programs very carefully, and to install HTTPS Everywhere, and to install an ad blocker, and Privacy Badger, and to reinstall the OS every couple months, etc. But there are tons of people running Windows XP which gets hacked so frequently you need to assume people on those systems have viruses. My point is this: A discussion on whether Google is the one leaking information begs the question. It doesn't matter if it is Google or another party. The question is this: "Is there a reasonable chance that a non-technical user will have his searches online leaked to a global network of advertisers and INT personal?" The answer is a resounding yes. My parents were both programmers 30 years ago, and neither of them can trust the devices that they have to not phone home about them.